Vacuum fuel-feed device



Nov. 4, 1930.

J L. ANDREWS VACUUM FUEL FEED DEVICE Filed Jan. 18, 1929 2's flzzirews W 45 a torn ys.

Patented Nov. 4, 1930 UNITED {STATES PATENT OFFICE J LEWIS ANDREWS, OF ELIJIWOOD' PARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 STEWART-WARNER CORPORATION,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA VACUUM FUEL-FEED DEVICE Application filed January 18, 1929. Serial No. 333,323.

7 The purpose of this invention is to pro vide a device for lifting fuel by suction, particularly adapted for lifting fuel from a low level main supply tank, as commonly carried at the rear of an automobile, to a receptacle mounted conveniently near the engine at suitable level for supplying the carburetor by gravity, the device being adapted to be operated by engine suction, and for that purpose arranged for connection with the engine intake manifold.

A further specific purpose is to enable the opening of the valve which admits the atmospheric pressure,by the action of a float buoyed by the liquid drawn into the receptacle by the suction,-notwithstanding that valve is of the large size necessary for controlling the liquid discharge port, without making the float of correspondingly large size, but instead, arranging that the float movement for opening the valve, shall be long relatively to the opening movement of the valve, whereby the float may be afforded a large advantage of leverage for overcoming the suction hold on'the valve, and providing operating connection with such lever age. a

The invention consists in the elements and features of construction shown and described as indicated in the claims.

Inthe drawings v i V Figure 1 is a vertical section of a vacuum tank embodying the invention, the same beingtaXial with respect to the liquid discharge fitting, the parts being shown at the position occupied when the structure is empty.

Figure 2'is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the parts in position occupied when the vacuum chamber "is filled to the high liquid level and before any discharge movement of the liquid has begun.

Figure 3 is a detail section at the line 3-3 on Figure '1.

The drawings show the receptacle comprising an outer shell, A, constituting an outer and lower fuel reserve chamber, an interior shell, B,.constituting the vacuum chamber, and a top plate or cap member, C, which serves-for securing the two shells, A and B, together and closing their cavities at the upper end. The cap plate, G, has a fuel supply connection consisting of a nipple, 10, adapted for connecting apipe, 10 which may be un-' derstood as leading from a main fuel tank not shown, and a suction connection consisting of a nipple, 11, having a narrowly restricted suction port, 11 for access ofsuction to the vacuum chamber, said nipple being adapted for connection of a pipe indicated at 11 which may be understood as leading to the intake manifold not shown. 7

At the bottom of the shell, B, referred to as the vacuumchamber, there is provided an L- shaped dischargefitting,D,of relatively large flow capacity (for accommodating a tubular lever member hereinafter mentioned) and terminating with a discharge port, 12, which is controlled by an externally seated flap valve, 13, of familiar construction arranged for seating'on the inclined end of the horizontal limb of said L-shaped fitting.

In the vacuum chamber there is provided a float, E, whlcn is pivotally suspended from-a lever, 18, by links, 16, the lever being forked to form a bail to whose two ends the respective links are pivoted, the links being pivotally engaged with the float at a substantial distance above the plane'of buoyancy, that is,

the plane to which its weight tends to sink it I the bell c ank lever at normal positionseen in Figure 1extending at about 15 degree angles, rightand left, from the fulcrum, the longer arm extending at its lower end for connection with the upper end of the bail, 16, as above mentioned. The shorter arm, 18*, of the bell crank lever is connected by a compression spring, 20, with a horizontally extending arm, 21, which is rigid with a down wardly extending tubular lever member, 22, which extends down through the tapered aperture, 15, of the float, E, and into the pas sage of the discharge fitting, D, in which it terminates with the horizontal limb, 22 which extends in the horizontal discharge limb of the fitting, D, at the upper side of the discharge passage thereof, said horizontal limb having terminal, 22*, which does not close the tubular passage and is positioned substantially for contact with the valve, 13, at the normal or idle position of the parts, and seated position of said valve.

This tubular lever, 22, is fulcrumed at 22 at the upper end of a sleeve, 13, which is tight-fitted in the vertical limb of the fitting, D, for the purpose of affording this fulcrum for the tubular lever.

The arm, 21, rigid, as stated, with the up per end of the tubular lever, 22, extends across the tubular lever at said upper end for stopping at its opposite ends against the opposite side walls of the vacuum chamber (the shell B), said arm being stopped against the left-hand wall of the chamber at the normal or idle position of the parts seen in Figure 1, at which it will be noticed the compression spring, 20, is approximately at right angles with the short arm, 18, of the bell crank lever, 18, said angle opening to the left. Having this detail of construction in mind it may be understood that when by theoperation of the suction the fuel is drawn into the vacuum chamber and rising above the level at which the float, E, is at balance, the further rise of the level, giving the float acertain buoyant value, will cause it to operate the bell crank lever through the medium of the link, 16, thrusting the longer arm of the lever upward and causing the shorter arm, 18, to compress the spring, 20, while carrying the pivotal connection of said spring to said shorter arm to the left; and that when by this buoyant effort of the float the arm, 18 has passed the position of alignment with the axis of the spring, 20, the reaction of the spring will snap the pivotal connection of the spring and lever arm, 18 over to the left, carrying the parts to the position shown in Figure 2, at which the reaction of the spring, 20,'will thrust the arm, 21, over to the right, withdrawing its left hand end from the wall of the chamber and carrying its right hand end into contact with the discharge wall, and causing the connected parts to reach the position shown in Figure 2,said movement to the right operating to rock the tubular lever, 22, over its fulcrum at 22, in the tapered aperture of the float, thrusting the terminal, 22, of the horizontal lower limb of said lever against the valve, 13, and opening said valve. And it may be understood that upon the valve being opened, if the reserve chamber is not occupied with liquid to the level of the intake of said horizontal limb of the tubular lever, air will rush in through the tubular lever and relieve the vacuum in the upper part of the vacuum chamber, causing the liquid which has been drawn into that chamber to be discharged past the open valve, 13, into the reserve chamber. And it will be understood that if the reserve chamber has previously been filled with liquid above the level of the discharge valve, 13, and port controlled by it, atmospheric pressure operating above the liquid in the reserve chamber will operate first to force the liquid up through the tubular lever, 22, which will be discharged at the upper end of the tubular lever, adding to the fuel already in the vacuum chamber with the effect of relieving the vacuum as it would be relieved by the entrance of air as first above described, and thereby causing the discharge of the liquid content of the chamber, including the liquid which may have been forced up through the tubular lever as described, until a balance is reached between the liquid in the vacuum chamber and the liquid accumulated in the reserve chamber. Upon considering this operation it may be understood that the stoppage of the arm, 21, against opposite chamber walls or. in some other manner, movement of the short arm, 18 should operate to compress the spring, 20, so as to produce the snap action instead of rocking the lever, 22, before the parts are conditioned for snap action.

T 18 action of the terminal, 22*, of the tubular lever for opening the valve, 13, to admit the air, is facilitated by pivoting the valve at its upper end, and arranging the terminal so that it strikes the valve considerably above the center for the area of the discharge port which results in the valve opening at the upper side of the port, as shown in full line in Figure 2, admitting the air, which, relieving the vacuum, causes gravity discharge of liquid which instantly swings the valves open at the lower side, as shown in dotted line in Figure 2.

Continuing the consideration of the operation after the dumping of the fuel from the vacuum chamber to the reserve chamber, it may be understood that if the reserve chamber was already filled to a level above the bottom of the vacuum chamber, the latter will not become emptied below that level until the level in both chambers is lowered by the delivery of fuel from the reserve chamber to the carbureter; and that whenever the level falls in the vacuum chamber below the balance plane of the float, the float descending by its weight no longer buoyed by the liquid, will operate the bell crank lever through the medium of the link, 16, swinging it back toward the original position, and that in such movement, when the short arm, 18, passes the posi tion of alignment with the axis of the spring,

20, a reverse snap action will occur in which the arm, 21, will be thrust back by the reaction of the spring, 20, to the position shown in Figure 1, where it is stopped against the wall of the chamber, as mentioned.

I claim:

1. In a construction for lifting liquid fuel by suction,-in combination with a receptacle comprising a vacuum chamber having a restricted suction connection, a liquid inflow connection and a liquid discharge port at the lower part; a valve at the liquid discharge port adapted to open in the direction of gravity flow of the liquid on the release of the suction; a tubular lever having its tubular cavity extending from the point in the chamber above the high liquid level thereof, downwardly to the liquid discharge port, and open at said port and terminating in position for operating the discharge valve thereof for opening the same; a float in the chamber and link and lever connections from the float to the tubular lever arranged for actuating said tubular lever in discharge-valve-opening direction upon the rise of the float to a predetermined height.

2. In a construction for lifting liquid by suction, in combination with a receptacle comprising a vacuum chamber to which the liquid is to be lifted, said chamber having a connection for suction and a liquid inflow connection, and having a liquid discharge port at the lower part, a valve controlling said port, an element comprising a duct and adapted to operate asa lever extending from the upper part of the vacuum chamber down- Ward to the discharge port, the duct of said element being open at both ends whereby it is adapted to admit the fluid pressure from the discharge port to the upper part of the chamber, said element terminating at its lower end in position foroperating the valve at the discharge port to admit fluid pressure to the duct; a float in the vacuum chamber and operating connections from the float to the upper end of said element for actuating the latter in the rising movement of the float to move the lower end of said element in valve-opening direction. a

3. The construction defined in claim 2, the lever element having at its upper end a transversely extending arm of suitable length to have limited range of movement longitudinally of said arm cross-wise of the chamber, the connection from the float to said lever element being made with said transverse arm 5 whereby said arm serves. to limit the movement of said lever element in both directions.

4:. In a construction for lifting liquid fuel by suction in combination with a receptacle comprising a vacuum chamber having a restricted suction connection, liquid inflow connection, and having a liquid discharge port at the lower part; a valve at the liquid discharge port adapted to be held seated by the suction within the chamber and to open in the direction'of gravity, flow of the liquid on the release of the suction; a tubular lever extending from a point in the chamber above the high liquid level thereof, downwardly to theliquid discharge port and open at said port, and having a terminal in position for operating the'discharge valve for opening the latter; a float in the chamber and snapaction lever connections from the float to the tubular lever arranged for actuating said tubular lever in the dischargevalve opening direction upon the'rise of the float to a predeterminedheight for operating the snap action.

5. In the construction defined in claim 2, the float having a vertical aperture extending through it, and the lever and duct element being extended down through said vertical aperture to reach the discharge port and discharge valve.

6. I11 the construction defined in claim 2, V

the lever and duct element being fulcrumed relatively near its lower end, whereby the snap action has the advantage of the leverage of the longer arm of the tubular lever for opening the discharge valve.

7. In the construction defined in claim 2, the link and lever connection from the float to the tubular lever comprising a bell crank lever, of which the longer arm is connected with the float and the shorter arm is involved in the snap action, whereby, for conditioning the snap action for its reaction, the float has the advantage of leverage afforded by its connection with the longer arm.

8. In a construction for lifting liquid fuel by suction in combination with a receptacle comprising a'vacuum chamber having suction connection, liquid inflow connection and liquid discharge port; a valve at the liquid discharge port arranged to be held seated by suction within the chamber the direction of upon release of the suction; a tubular lever extending from a point in the chamber above the high liquid level thereof downwardly to the liquid'discharge port and open at said port, said tubular lever being fulcrumed relatively near its lower end terminating in position for operating the discharge valve for opening the latter; a float in the chamber and snap action connections from the float to the upper end of the longer arm of said tubular lever, said snap action being arranged to be operated upon the rise of the float to a preand to open in gravity flow of the liquid 1 determined height, and to react for rocking the tubular lever over its fulcrum in the direction for opening the discharge valve; said snap action being arrangedalso for operating in the opposite direction upon the descent of the float below a predetermined level for rocking the tubular lever in the direction to withdraw its lower end from the discharge valve and permit the same to close.

9. 1n the construction defined in claim '1, an arm rigid with the tubular lever extending. transversely thereof at the upper end, the snap action being connected to said arm for thrusting it transversely of the tubular lever forgiving the lever its valve-opening movement, said arm being dimensioned for stopping, its opposite ends against the opposite walls of the chamber to limit the range of the rocking movement communicated to the tubular lever.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Chicago, Illinois, this 27th day of December, 1928. I I o J LEWIS ANDREWS. 

